GYTR YJR Run Hot In VIC MX Champs

GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing’s Liam Andrews produced his best results of the 2018 season so far at round two of the Victorian Junior Motocross Championships, held at the Outtrim Circuit, over the weekend.

Andrews and with young team mate, Ty Sharp, both showed tremendous pace over the weekend and both are in the heat of the battle in the championship points chase with two rounds to come.

Andrews lined up in two classes over the weekend and came home victorious in both. He claimed 1-2-1 results on his YZ125 on a wet, heavy track that made racing difficult. Andrews kept a cool head and the bike on two wheels while others fell around him to show great maturity in his racing and take the round win and move 22points clear in the series.

He returned on Sunday and was determined to continue the good form. His results on the YZ250F were almost identical, this time finishing with 1-3-1 to win the day. He holeshotted two races and raced flawlessly to take the win while his only blemish for the day came after a bad start in moto two.

“The weekend was the best I have felt this year since returning from injury,” Andrews begins. “I have been working hard to get back my speed and fitness and sometimes it’s frustrating as you want it right away but it takes time. It was good to get those feelings back today and hopefully I can continue to improve from here.”

Ty Sharp contested the 9-11 years 85 and 65cc classes and finished just off the podium on both bikes. He claimed fourth in his YZ85 with 4-3-4 results but was hampered by costly mid race mistakes which took away any chance of victory.

His 65cc races looked much the same as Sharp was clearly the quickest rider on the track. He dominated the opening race but then falls in races two and three left him with 1-4-6 results and frustrated with his weekend. The harder he tried, the more trouble he had.

Sharp now sits in second place on both bikes just a handful of points out of the series lead.

“It wasn’t the weekend I wanted and I have some things I need to get better at,” Sharp admits. “When I stayed on the bike my speed was good but I had trouble when the ruts got deep and I tried to override them. Next time it rains and we get some ruts, I’m going out to train in them because that is what I did wrong on the weekend.”

Alex Larwood made the trip over from South Australia and made a positive start to racing with a fourth-place finish for the round on his YZ125. Larwood improved in each race to finish with 5-4-3 results in a good showing.

But Sunday didn’t fare quite as well as he went down on his 250F, and broke his collarbone early in the day. The injury will keep him sidelined for over a month while it heels.

And Lochie Smith made the trip over from Tasmania to contest the event but also had a tough time. He started the weekend well with a top four result on his YZ125 but then struggled to keep it on two wheels for the remainder of the weekend.